Slaying of Suspected Drug Dealer Was Accident, Police Say

Police officials, altering their original version of the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of a suspected drug dealer in Southeast San Diego, said Monday that the killing did not result from a struggle for an undercover officer’s weapon and was instead an accident.

The San Diego Police Department had said Sunday that a struggle between an undercover officer and Johnny O. Douglas led to Douglas being shot after he ran from uniformed officers that evening following an undercover cocaine buy.

But further investigation Monday caused police to give a different version of the incident, according to Lt. Phil Jarvis.

Friends, Relatives Angry

The death of Douglas, 29, of San Diego, sparked an angry confrontation Sunday night between the victim’s relatives and friends--some of whom were described by police as members of the West Coast Crips gang--and about two dozen officers outside UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest. Four officers were injured and two people were arrested, Cmdr. Keith Enerson said.

At the drug-plagued intersection near where the unarmed Douglas was shot, about a dozen people Monday expressed outrage at the shooting, demanding justice and saying they are fed up with constant police harassment. The shooting of an unarmed man, some residents warned, has resulted in a potentially explosive situation.

The Rev. George Walker Smith, spokesman for the Civilian Advisory Panel on Police Practices, said: “I am aware of what happened. I have no comment until I talk with the police.”

Lt. Jarvis described the incident, which occurred at about 6 p.m., as follows:

Two undercover officers had purchased an undisclosed amount of “crack,” a powerful cocaine derivative, from an unidentified accomplice of Douglas’ near 30th Street and Imperial Avenue.

Douglas provided the drug “to the guy who furnished it to the officer,” Jarvis said.

After the buy was completed, the undercover officers alerted nearby uniformed police, who moved in to arrest the two suspects as they stood outside a liquor store on Imperial.

The first suspect did not resist arrest, but Douglas ran for about a block before being caught by an unidentified undercover officer, who was serving as a backup to the uniformed officers, in a walkway near the 2900 block of Imperial.

Gun in Hand

The officer was carrying his .38-caliber revolver in his hand during the chase and both uniformed officers “continually identified themselves as police officers,” Jarvis said. He said the undercover officer had drawn his gun because he feared an ambush in the walkway.

“He grabbed him (Douglas) by the back of his jacket collar with the left hand and had his revolver in his right hand,” Jarvis said. “He couldn’t see what (Douglas) was doing with his hands, so he told him, ‘Put your hands off to the side.’ ”

When Douglas did not obey the command, the officer ordered him “to get down on his face.”

Douglas appeared to be complying, then suddenly “lurched backward” into the officer. The sudden movement, Jarvis said, accidentally forced the discharge of a round from the gun into the back of Douglas’ head.

Trying to Throw Him Off

“The supposition is that he was trying to throw the officer off balance,” Jarvis said.

Deputy Coroner Penne Hammerstead said an autopsy performed Monday showed Douglas’ death was caused by a single gunshot wound to the head.

Police refused to identify the officer involved or the other suspect. Jarvis said the officer was scheduled to be off work Monday and Tuesday and that he will be assigned to administrative duty while the shooting is investigated.

Douglas was taken by paramedics to UCSD Medical Center, where he died at 6:31 p.m.

Jarvis said Douglas was not armed and that he was not sure whether any drugs were found on him after the shooting.

Alleged Gang Member

Douglas had been a member of the West Coast Crips gang and had served time in state prison for possession of a sawed-off shotgun, Jarvis said. He also said Douglas was a parole violator and that state parole agents were “actively seeking” him.

Gary Akin, unit supervisor at the local state parole office, confirmed that Douglas was sentenced to two years in state prison in 1985 for possession of the shotgun. He served 11 months and was paroled in 1986, Akin said.

“We were in the process of getting a warrant for his arrest,” he said. “He was not keeping in contact with his parole agent. We just didn’t get to him quick enough.”

Cmdr. Enerson said as many as 50 of Douglas’ friends and relatives gathered at the hospital Sunday and that they were “relatively calm” at first.

‘Became Very Hysterical’

The confrontation erupted after a woman believed to be Douglas’ sister “became very hysterical” upon learning of his death and was escorted into the medical center’s parking lot by family members, Enerson said.

Outside, officers were threatened and shoved by members of the crowd. In the end, Enerson said, four officers received minor injuries, including Officer Gregory Bisesto, who required five stitches on his head after being thrown against a patrol car. The officers were treated and released.

Michael D. Baker, 23, and Jonathan Clark, 18, were arrested on suspicion of felony battery on a police officer, malicious mischief and being under the influence of a controlled substance, Enerson said.

“It was a very large disturbance . . . “ Enerson said.

Called Him ‘Poochie’

Some residents expressed outrage at the shooting death of the man they called “Poochie.”

“When they come into our neighborhood and shoot people like Poochie, they make it bad on themselves,” said a 25-year-old friend who asked not to be identified.

“This time we won’t forget this so easily unless something is done,” said the man, who described himself as Douglas’ childhood friend. He said he witnessed the chase before the shooting. “We want justice. We will turn this place into another Watts if we have to.”

A 20-year-old woman, who also said she saw police chasing Douglas, warned: “Don’t be surprised if there is a riot. We are tired of this treatment. We are people, not animals.”

Times Staff Writer H.G. Reza contributed to this story.